


Turning Chance to Fortune

by opalmatrix



Category: Foreigner Series - C. J. Cherryh
Genre: Alien Cultural Differences, Gunshot Wounds, Loyalty, M/M, Self-Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:06:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24197941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/opalmatrix/pseuds/opalmatrix
Summary: The aiji's autumn hunting expedition comes to an early and dangerous end.
Relationships: Bren Cameron & Tabini
Comments: 8
Kudos: 29
Collections: Hurt Comfort Exchange 2020





	Turning Chance to Fortune

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Serenade](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serenade/gifts).



> What Serenade favors: Bren is ready to sacrifice himself for Tabini! Tabini shows Bren how much he is valued! I've tried to give you that, nadi! Beta by [Sholio](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sholio/pseuds/Sholio).

The morning dawned cool and foggy over Taiben. Tabini, unlike his grandmother, did not insist on breakfast under the open sky, but the windows in the small dining room were thrown open to the fresh air. Over eggs in nests of forest ferns and a compote of local fruits, the aiji discussed the day's hunting prospects with the chief ranger of the public lands to the north. "The scouts report a herd of leighsa-in in the area of the Pobrein Ravine, aiji-ma," the fellow was saying. He was an older ateva, his neatly braided hair showing streaks of grey, His hunting leathers were comfortably worn but clean, and his table manners were careful if not elegant.

"We would be pleased if those scouts would guide us to the proper spot," said Tabini.

"They would be more than honored, aiji-ma. Will you take transport to Pobrein Station? They can join you there."

"Indeed," said Tabini. "Bren-paidhi, will you have more eggs? Another bun?"

Bren chased the last bite of bread with a mouthful of tea. "No need, aiji-ma. I have had more than enough."

Tabini smiled. "True, we need no overfed lethargy on the trail this morning." He pushed his own plate back and rose. "Nadiin, the leighsa-in await."

They went out to the bus, in this case a rugged vehicle with oversized tires and a baggage compartment with fittings for weapons and ammunitions case as well as trail provisions. The hulking conveyance had comfortable seating for a dozen atevi: more than ample for the aiji's party. The journey to the ranger station nearest the famous ravine was less than an hour, over roads that dwindled to a rough track on which the large tires showed their usefulness. Despite the luxurious seating, Bren was glad to see the ranger station.

They climbed down from the vehicle, and Banichi and Charada, a young assassin recently attached to Taiben, handed out the rifles and other equipment. Awaiting them were the ranger in charge of the station and two youths, brother and sister, introduced as Geiba and Railano. They were all arms and legs, likely having their full height but little, as yet, of their adult musculature. Both dropped their eyes shyly as they were introduced. "Well," said Tabini. "Show us this herd."

"Aiji-ma," they murmured, and led the way onto a trail through the tall grasses. Tabini followed close behind, then Bren, with Banichi and Charada bringing up the rear. The morning mist had burned off as the day became brilliantly sunny. The ground grew rougher as they left the vicinity of the station, and suddenly an impressive rift in the ground opened up before them. "Pobrein Ravine," announced Railano, with pride.

"See, aiji-ma," said her brother, kneeling and indicating the dusty earth before him. "Here are tracks where they came up to feed on the berries of the cheip in the dawn. Now they will be down in the ravine itself."

Looking at the steep slope below them, Bren wondered how the party would make their way down. But the two youngsters led the way to a surprisingly reasonable track, partially carved out by a small stream that was still shrunk from the summer dryness. "In the winter, nadiin, the water covers much of these rocks," explained Railano. "But now, we can climb down almost as nimbly as the leighsa-in." 

The sparse vegetation clinging to the steep sides of the defile thickened as they descended, until it ceased to be shrubs and became small trees. The trickle of water in the stream bed had become a lively little creek, chattering across the rocks and pebbles, Suddenly Geiba held up one hand, warningly, and they all stopped and crouched down, well below the tree branches. The lad pointed across the ravine, and Bren could just see, between the twigs and leaves, several rough-coated small beasts, each with two pairs of horns, moving effortlessly along the near-vertical rock wall. The upper horns of the largest might perhaps reach to Bren's shoulder, were he beside the creatures.

"Their hooves have three parts," Railano whispered to Bren as she came back and crouched beside him. "That allows them to cling to the rocks."

Bren gestured his appreciation of the new information. Just ahead of him on the trail, Tabini was accepting a round of ammunition for his rifle from Charada. He loaded the firearm quickly, with hardly a sound. Banichi was doing the same with his own gun, and Railano offered Bren a round as well. His own rifle, sized for an atevi child, had belonged to Tabini's grandfather in his youth. When Charada had finished loading, they all looked at Tabini, allowing the aiji to take the first shot.

Tabini fired, and they all rose to do the same. Bren, squinting along the old-fashioned sights of his gun, thought he saw a leighsa fall, and then—

A flash of light from an outcropping of rock across the way.

_Rock crystal? No!_

He flung himself at Tabini, hitting the aiji's hip with his shoulder and tumbling them both onto the rocky trail. Bren heard the distinctive sound of a high-powered rifle at long range. A searing pain cut across his side below his ribs, and almost simultaneously there was a small, hard impact like a hammer blow above that.

"Nandi!" cried Charada.

Several rifle shots sounded above their heads, and Banichi gave a small grunt of frustration. "This gun, this _hunting_ gun. My own would be much more effective!" 

"Aiji-ma," said Charada. "Are you injured?"

Bren rolled clear of Tabini, who sat up. "Nothing of concern. Bruises, certainly. The paidhi may well have saved me worse. What of you, paidhi-ji?"

It felt to Bren like he'd been both kicked in the ribs up near his left armpit and burned with a hot poker somewhere above the same hip. He started to press his hand to the burning injury, which felt more urgent, and hesitated.

"Permit me to look, nand'paidhi. I have medical training," said Charada.

Of course he did; it was a requirement of the Guild. Bren sat up and moved his left arm forward so Charada could look. The young ranger scouts were crouched in the shrubs, scanning all around with binoculars, their own light rifles close by. Tabini got up to his knees and retrieved his rifle. Banichi let off another shot and let out a breath. "I see two of them. I may have hit one but he is yet mobile. They are moving to another position."

Charada was probing the area above Bren's hip. "The bullet grazed the paidhi, laying open the jacket leather, the shirt, and the skin beneath, but it is not bleeding seriously. Geiba, fetch the medical kit."

Bren debated telling Charada about the other pain, but it didn't seem to be bleeding badly either: no feeling of wetness or loss of energy. Charada rummaged through the first aid kit from Geiba's pack and came up with a small, flat packet. "Here is an adhesive dressing for the paidhi, young ranger. Cleaning the wound will have to wait." He got up into a crouch and, grabbing his rifle, joined Banichi.

With the boy's help, Bren got the bandage in place. The wound indeed looked like a burn, an angry, oozing streak, but once it was covered Bren felt surprisingly well. Things hurt, but they seemed far away from him. He felt alert and clear-headed. "Thank you, Geiba."

Banichi, who had been having a hushed conversation with Tabini, Charada, and Railano, joined them. "We do not have a good radio signal this deep into the gorge. Railano says that there is a more rugged trail that starts some 300 meters farther down, leading up to the rim of ravine. It offers better cover than the way we came down. We will endeavor to escape that way, with myself and Charada bringing up the rear, and then call for aid. The two assassins we saw seem to be the only ones present, and they seem to be amateurs, especially given that they have not fired again after missing the aiji the first time. They have not had time to reach the foot of this second trail and indeed may not know of it. We must move, nandi, nadi."

Railano led them farther down the original trail, all of them crouching and trying to keep the screening trees between themselves and any watchers on the father side of the ravine. Then the young woman seemed to disappear into a small gap behind a rocky promontory. When Bren arrived at the same spot, he marveled at the narrowness of the passage: he would have walked by it without a thought. It widened slightly after the first five meters, becoming a steep but manageable path.

The party followed their guide in silence until a whispered order from Banichi halted them. They gathered as closely as they could. Banichi said, "We may have eluded them, but Charada and I will ensure that they do not follow. Now that I have seen this place, I agree with Railano's judgment that they will not be able to come at the rest of you from above without a lot of noise. Geiba, you will be the aiji's rearguard."

The small break should have provided a bit of rest, but now, as Bren followed Tabini up the steep, uneven path, he felt as though his muscles were turning to mush. He shivered, despite the increasing warmth of the noonday air, and stumbled. Geiba helped him up, and Tabini turned to look at them, his pale eyes unreadable. Then the aiji turned and followed Railano.

They plodded onward. Bren stumbled again, and then again. The next time, he went down. 

"Nand'paidhi!" whispered Geiba, "Are you well?" 

Railano and Tabini turned back to see what had happened, towering over Bren. Geiba helped him sit up. Bren felt stinging and dampness on his chin: he had hit it on the rock of the trail. There was an answering dampness over his left ribs, where that hard blow had fallen: something had been released when he tried to break his fall with his arms. Geiba's nostrils flared. "Nand'paidhi, lift your arm—the left one." Bren did so.

The boy took in a dismayed breath. "Aiji-ma, he has another bullet wound. Not a graze."

"Take off his jacket," ordered Tabini.

Railano edged past them, her rifle at the ready, going to cover them from behind. Geiba unbuckled Bren's leather hunting jacket, eased it off, and spread it out over the rocks. Tabini crouched down as well, frowning as he examined it. "Bren-ji, lie down on your other side," he said.

Geiba pulled out the medical kit again and rolled up Bren's shirt. He wiped his hands on a sterile cloth and then gently probed at the wound. Bren gasped and his vision blurred. "The bullet is in the wound, aiji-ma," said Geiba. "His rib stopped it; the bone may be broken. It is not bleeding much at the moment."

There was silence. Then Tabini said, harshly, "Bandage the wound. We must go on."

In the end, Tabini had to help Geiba sit Bren up so that the bandage could be wrapped around Bren's torso. He was shivering too much to be of help. They were getting his jacket back on when Railano came back. "I heard shots below, nandi."

"Railano, my sister," Geiba said. "The paidhi has a bullet wound we did not find earlier. We must carry him."

"No," said Tabini. "I myself will carry the paidhi."

"Aiji-ma," protested Bren, and the others echoed him.

"This man has protected my life with his own. This man is within my man'chi," stated Tabini. "You two are still nothing but sticks and cord, as youngsters are. You will guide us again, Railano, and Geiba will guard. I will carry nand'Bren, and we will make good time."

There was no argument to be made, although Bren's mind insisted on trying to explain to Tabini that it was _not_ man'chi that had spurred his action. Geiba helped settle Bren in Tabini's arms, and the journey continued. The constriction of Tabini's strong arms was reassuring and yet agonizing, ebbing and flowing with the aiji's burdened steps, and Bren gradually fell into a grey, throbbing daze.

His head cleared to find himself flat on his back, surrounded by the atevi-tall waving grasses of the plain near the ravine. "Understood," someone was saying, and there was an acknowledgement, distorted by radio crackle. The first speaker sounded like Banichi.

Bren forced his eyelids open. His mouth was dry, and his entire left side was a dim, red mass of pain. Tabini's yellow eyes stared down at him, his face bearing a brooding expression that lightened as he saw Bren was conscious. "What of the assassins?" rasped Bren.

"Dead," said the aiji. "Charada has proved an excellent shot. The bus will be here shortly. Rest, nadi."

Bren closed his eyes again, relieved and yet dreading the bumpy ride back to Taiben. He heard young Railano say, "What are humans made of, that he could walk so far with such a wound and not utter one sound?"

"Equal parts steel and foolishness," said Banichi, his tone somber.

"Even so," said Tabini, "I would not have him made any other way. He has turned today's ill chance to our fortune."


End file.
